With its food security facing unprecedented crisis due to water shortage, trouble is brewing up in Tamil Nadu against its neighbouring States of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala over sharing of river waters. Saturday’s letter by Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking his immediate intervention to prevent Kerala from building a check dam across Siruvani River is the latest in the build up to a war like situation between the three States.
The districts of Tiruchirappali, Thiruvarur, Thanjavur, Nagapttinam and Cuddalore, popularly known as the Cauvery delta districts or the Rice Bowl of Tamil Nadu, are reeling under severe draught. This has been aggravated by Karnataka’s refusal to release water from Cauvery River to Tamil Nadu. The Cauvery, originating in Karnataka and flowing through Tamil Nadu before it joins the Bay of Bengal is the lifeline of Tamil Nadu.
According to Karnataka, there is no surplus water in Cauvery following the failure of the south-west monsoon. So the State declared that it would not be able to release the quantity of water which it owes Tamil Nadu as per the 2007 verdict of Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal (CWDT). The CWDT in its verdict has clearly mentioned the quantity of water Karnataka should release to Tamil Nadu in a water year and that too month by month so that farming operations would not get disturbed.
Karnataka has told Tamil Nadu that the State has no water in its reservoirs other than that which has been stored for drinking purpose. But Tamil Nadu alleges that Karnataka has built a series of dams/reservoirs along the course of Cauvery without taking the concurrence of the former. Karnataka has denied the charge and Tamil Nadu has already approached the apex court with a plea to direct Karnataka to release the water due to the State.
The Centre is in an embarrassment as it cannot upset the BJP in Karnataka by asking the Congress Government in the State to release water to Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu is also upset with Andhra Pradesh as the latter is fast building check dams across the Palar River which is already facing the threat of extinction. The construction of check dams will lead to the drying up of the already parched farm lands in Vellore district of Tamil Nadu.
Saturday also saw Tamil Nadu Government contacting Prime Minister Modi soliciting his cooperation to prevent Karnataka from building a major reservoir in Mekedatu in Karnataka. Tamil Nadu is alleging that the proposed Mekedatu dam would choke up the State further with Karnataka impounding whatever water is left in Cauvery.
Kerala alleges that Tamil Nadu did not respond to a series of its letters the State despatched regarding the construction of dam across Siruvani River. It was following the refusal of Tamil Nadu to acknowledge even a single letter by us which made us approach the union Government for approval to construct the dam,” a Kerala Irrigation official has been quoted as saying.
According to M Karunanidhi, the DMK president, three districts of Coimbatore, Erode and Tiruppur in Tamil Nadu would turn into a desert if Kerala goes ahead with the construction of dam over Siruvani. It is Siruvani River which quenches the thirst of people in Coimbatore district.
Tamil Nadu and Kerala are already fighting a legal war over the Mullaperiyar Dam with the latter demanding the decommissioning of the more than a century old dam and constructing a new Dam which is vehemently opposed by Tamil Nadu.
Various farmers unions in Tamil Nadu has declared their plans to launch series of agitations against Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. Not to be left behind, the DMK, the MDMK and the PMK too have joined the bandwagon of agitations against their own Government as well as the Governments of the three neighbouring States demanding the stoppage of the construction works of all check dams.